Are Reader's Digest Condensed Books Worth Anything? The Honest Answer

By Josh Eldred · New Mexico Literacy Project · · Last verified May 2026

No — and I say that as the person who probably takes more of them than anyone else in Albuquerque. Reader’s Digest Condensed Books have essentially no resale value, they are the single hardest category of book to give away, and that is exactly why people end up frustrated and a little guilty standing in front of a shelf of them. The guilt is misplaced and the frustration is solvable. This page explains plainly why they are worth nothing, why nobody will take them, and what to actually do with the lot so it is off your hands without going in the trash.

The short version: they have no resale value and most places will not accept them — but I will. In the Albuquerque metro I take Reader’s Digest Condensed Books free, any quantity, no sorting, along with the rest of a book load. Text 702-496-4214 or use the free pickup form.

Why they are worth nothing

Two facts, together, explain the whole thing. First, they are condensed — that is the entire point of the series. Each volume gathered three to five recent novels and abridged them, cutting them down to a shorter, faster read. That makes them close to worthless to anyone who actually wants the book: a reader, a collector, or a library wants the complete, unabridged novel, not a shortened version, and the abridged text has no literary or collector value of its own. A condensed book is, by design, not the real book.

Second, they were everywhere. Reader’s Digest mailed Condensed Books to subscribers on a standing basis for decades, from the 1950s into the 1990s, and they landed in millions of American homes — usually in matching sets that filled a shelf and looked, satisfyingly, like a library. Because they were a mass subscription product and because families kept them, they survive today in staggering numbers. High supply plus near-zero demand is the textbook recipe for no resale value, and that is precisely where these land.

Why nobody will take them

This is the part that surprises people. You would think a free, clean, hardcover book would be easy to donate — but Condensed Books get turned away almost everywhere, and for good reason from the receiver’s side. Used bookstores will not buy them because they cannot sell them. Thrift stores stopped putting them out years ago because they do not move and they take up shelf space that could hold sellable goods. Libraries will not add abridged editions to a collection or a book sale. Even some donation bins specifically exclude them. So you are left holding a category of book that is simultaneously too nice to feel right throwing away and too unwanted for anyone to accept — the perfect frustrating object.

What to actually do with them

Repurpose the bindings, if you are crafty. The faux-leather and cloth bindings, with their gold-stamped spines, are genuinely attractive, and there is a small world of decor and craft uses for them: stacked as risers, grouped by color on a shelf for looks, or hollowed out for storage. If you enjoy that sort of thing, the better-looking volumes have a second life as objects even though the text inside is unwanted.

Recycle the rest. Condensed Books are ordinary book paper and board and can be recycled. The hard cover usually has to be separated from the text block for most curbside paper programs, which is tedious at volume — one more reason people would rather hand off the whole lot.

Let me take them. This is exactly the problem I exist to solve in the Albuquerque metro. I take Reader’s Digest Condensed Books free, in any quantity, with no sorting, as part of the same free pickup and 24/7 drop box I run for books and media. I will be straight with you about what happens to them: there is essentially no resale or reading demand, so the great majority are responsibly paper-recycled rather than landfilled, and the occasional nice set goes to someone who wants them for decor. You do not have to feel bad about it, you do not have to separate covers, and you do not have to be the one to put them in the trash. They just leave.

Shelves of Condensed Books to get rid of?

Free pickup across the Albuquerque metro, any quantity, no sorting. The one place that actually takes them.

Call or Text 702-496-4214

Frequently asked questions

Are Reader's Digest Condensed Books worth anything?
No — essentially nothing on the resale market. They are abridged versions of novels, so readers and collectors who want the real book do not want them, and they were printed in the millions over decades, so they are not scarce. Used bookstores, thrifts, and libraries generally will not take them.
Why won't anyone take Reader's Digest Condensed Books?
Because they are condensed (shortened) and abundant. Readers want the complete novel, not an abridgment, and the series survives in enormous numbers from decades of subscriptions. Used bookstores cannot resell them, thrifts cannot move them, and libraries will not shelve abridged editions — so they get turned away.
What can I do with old Reader's Digest Condensed Books in Albuquerque?
Repurpose the nicer bindings for decor or crafts, recycle the rest, or hand the whole lot to me. I take them free across the Albuquerque metro, any quantity, no sorting — the great majority are responsibly paper-recycled since demand is essentially zero, so they never hit your trash. Text 702-496-4214.

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Cite This Guide

Eldred, J. (May 2026). Are Reader's Digest Condensed Books Worth Anything? The Honest Answer. New Mexico Literacy Project.

https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/what-to-do-with-readers-digest-condensed-books

Content is original research by Josh Eldred. Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Cite with attribution.